Decorative sheeting fabricating method

ABSTRACT

A method for forming decorative sheeting which include means for bringing two independent sources of thin, flexible material to a single point for continuously forming such sheeting. The process of forming such sheeting includes the use of two separate bonding materials, one of which is quick acting but forms only a temporary bond and the other of which is slow acting, but forms a permanent bond between the materials from the two separate sources. The process also reduces the size of the material from one source to approximate the size of the material from the other source and also ruffling or producing a random appearance of the material from said one source when it is mated with and bonded to the material from said other source.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Lee F. Rost;

William H. Taylor, both of Covina, Calif. [21] Appl. No. 44,346 [22]Filed June 8, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 26, 1971 [73] AssigneeKoningsplein, N. g g V v [23] Division of Ser. No. 715,677, Mar. 25,

1968, Pat. No. 3,562,064

[54] DECORATIVE SHEETING FABRICATING METHOD 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 156/210, 156/155, 156/310 [51] Int. Cl 831i 1/28 [50] Fieldof Search 156/210, 310, 314, 474, 470, 309, 155

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,588,452 6/1926 Greenstrect156/474 Primary ExaminerSamuel Feinberg Assistant ExaminerG. E. MontoneAttorney-Boyken, Mohler, Foster & Schwab 7 ABSTRACT: A method forforming decorative sheeting which include means for bringing twoindependent sources of thin, flexible material to a single point forcontinuously forming such sheeting. The process of forming such sheetingincludes the use of two separate bonding materials, one of which isquick acting but forms only a temporary bond and the other of which isslow acting, but forms a permanent bond between the materials from thetwo separate sourcesv The process also reduces the size of the materialfrom one source to approximate the size of the material from the othersource and also ruffling or producing a random appearance of thematerial from said one source when it is mated with and bonded to thematerial from said other source.

DECORATIVE SHEETING FABRICATING METHOD This application is a divisionalof copending application Ser. No. 7l5,677,flled Mar. 25, 1968.

The present method contemplates the fabrication of decorative sheeting,sometimes referred to as floral sheeting, which is used in decoratingsuch things as parade floats, platforms and the like, giving the thingdecorated the appearance of having been made with flowers or flowerpetals.

Floral or decorative sheeting of the type herein contemplated isgenerally made by securing a plurality of what may be called petalresembling strips to a backing sheet. In ultimate use the product may bedraped over a foundation structure such as chick wire in a formation ofa float or other decorative piece.

At best, prior attempts to fabricate artificial floral sheeting havebeen only partially automated and the product has been inordinatelyexpensive due to the hand labor involved. The product has nonnally beencommercialized in individual pieces of 1 square yard, thus necessitatinga substantial amount of waste on the part of the user.

Most prior floral sheetings have been made of basically unsatisfactorymaterials. Some has been made of fabrics which are expensive initially,fade in sunlight and wilt in excessive moisture or rain, both of whichconditions are likely to be encountered in the anticipated use of floralsheeting. Other attempts have been made to fabricate floral sheetingfrom paper products and, along with the disadvantages of using fabrics,paper products, present a substantial fire hazard and may completelydisintegrate should a float made therefrom encounter rain.

Applicants process and apparatus provides for automated manufacturing ofdecorative floral sheeting from fire-resistant plastic materials whichare unaffected by the wide range of climatic conditions likely to beencountered in the use of the product. The use of this desirablematerial presents substantial problems which applicants have had toovercome. The material is very thin and very flexible and must behandled with particular care. The petal strips cannot be stitched to thebacking strip as in sewing, since each puncture would provide a point ofweakness and the material would quickly tear apart. The plastic of thepetal strip and the backing sheet cannot be bonded together by the usualadhesives since it is not porous. It can be welded or bonded together bysolvents which tend to fuse the petal strip to the backing sheet, butthese solvents take many hours to perform their function and cure,establishing a secure bond. Faster acting solvents would be totallydestructive of the thin and fragile materials, used by applicants informing their floral sheeting.

It is therefore, a primary object of the present invention to providemethod and apparatus for forming decorative sheeting by a continuousprocess, thereby minimizing waste on the part of the user.

Another primary object is to provide method and apparatus for formingdecorative floral sheeting from thin, flexible plastic materials. It isyet another object of this invention to provide apparatus and method forbonding plastic materials together in the continuous formation ofdecorative floral sheeting.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide method andapparatus for continuously forming floral sheeting wherein a pluralityof petal strips are bonded to a single backing sheet, said petal stripsbeing ruffled to provide a flower petal appearance.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatusand method for forming decorative floral sheeting wherein the sheetingcan be of any practical desired length, and when a desired length isreached, the formed product can be severed from the product being formedby novel severing means.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatusand method for forming decorative floral automated apparatus for formingdecorative floral sheeting wherein the source of the petal strips usedin the formation of the product can be instantly replaced when onesource thereof has been expended.

These and other objects will be apparent from the description taken inconjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of theapparatus of the present invention also illustrating a decorativesheeting takeup device which may be used in conjunction therewith;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the intermediateportion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portionnear the right-hand end of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged, semidiagrammatic view of the apparatus andaction of the present invention at the point at which a petal strip ismated with backing sheet;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the decorative sheetingsevering element of the present invention;

FIG. 5a is a plan view of the device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view as seen substantially along line 66ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of magazine mounting structure.

In general, the apparatus of the present invention consists of a numberof stations which can be separately described. For purposes of thisdescription, the forward end of the machine will be considered theright-hand end as seen in FIG. I. The various stations may generally bedescribed as the petal strip storage station or magazine 1, the petalstrip conveying and forming station 2, the petal strip and backing sheetmating station 3, and takeup station 4.

More specifically, magazine station 1 includes a box like frame member 5which is adapted to support a plurality of reels 6 of elongated,preformed petal strip 9 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 6).

It can be assumed that the petal strip is formed and wound about reels 6independently of the apparatus of the present invention. The petal stripused herein may be formed from any of several commercially availableplastic sheet materials, and in the present instance, it is formed toprovide two spaced rows of oppositely outwardly extending petal likestructures 10, each of which may be severed from the other, but all ofwhich are joined together in a petal strip 9 by a web I1 extendingbetween the inward ends of the petals 10.

Each reel 6 of petal strip 9 is removably, rotatably mounted in a pairof armatures 12 which are in turn secured to frame 5. Magazine 1 mayinclude any number of rows of reels 6 and each such row may include anydesired number of individual reels 6. In the present example, as seen inFIG. 1, there are four rows of reels and each row contains six reels.The petal strip in the present example is approximately 4 inches wide.

Magazine 1 is adapted to be removably mounted on a major frame membergenerally designated 14. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 7, the depending legs ofmagazine 1 are adapted to be received from above by frame 14, and heldin place thereon by positioning blocks 15, one for each depending leg.Positioning dowels extending upwardly from frame 14 could as well servethe purpose, and are in fact used at each upper comer of frame 5 as at16, to stack a plurality of magazines together, dowels 16 on onemagazine being adapted to be received within apertures 17 (FIG. 7) inthe legs of another similar magazine. Thus, provision is made in thepresent apparatus for removing a magazine 1 from frame 14 when the reelsthereof have been expended, replacing the magazine with one similarthereto having full reels.

Each reel 6 may have a retarding member 20 in frictional engagementtherewith to restrain the rotation of the reel in operation so that itdispenses only the required amount of petal strip without undesirableslack. For economy, retarding members 20 may be mounted on frame 14,each in a position to frictionally engage its respective reel asmagazines 1 are interchanged.

Rotatably mounted in frame 14 are a plurality of positioning rollers 21(FIGS. 1, 2 and 6), one such roller being below and in alignment witheach reel 6. Each roller 21 has a concaved surface which is adapted tobe engaged by a petal strip 9 as it is dispensed from a reel 6,centering such petal strip in its path of travel and providing adesirable deformation of such strip in such path of travel.

Adjacent each roller 21 is the rearward terminal end 23 of a plow memberwhich will generally be designated 22. The positioning of rollers 21 andplow ends 23, is such that a petal strip is intended to pass between thetwo. Initially, plow end 23 is formed flat to receive a basically flatpetal strip and shortly thereafter side members 24 are formed on plow22, which side members converge and increase in depth, forcing thepetals of a petal strip into substantially vertical positions. An idlerroller 25, held down by its own weight, may be positioned between thesides 24 of each plow 22. This roller assures that each petal stripfollows and maintains the U-shaped conformation of its respective plow.

It can be seen that the purpose of the concaved surface of each roller21 is to bend petal strip passing thereby first in one direction priorto being forced in the opposite direction by the sides 24 and plow 22.It has been found that by applying these forces to petal strip 9, theindividual petals 10 thereof will maintain vertical positions as theypass forwardly along channel shaped plows 22 and the individual petalswill not tend to fall toward each other, becoming creased andintertwined. It may be noted that each of rollers 25 is rotatablymounted upon a swingable armature 26, both of which can be lifted andsuspended upwardly of and out of plows 22 when petal strips are beingthreaded into the apparatus.

Means for unreeling petal strips from reels 6 and for advancing it alongplows 22, is provided in conveying and forming station 2. Rotatablymounted above and below the path of travel of each petal strip are apair of pinch or feed rollers, one of which may be driven and the otherof which may frictionally engage the periphery of the driven roller. Inthe present example, driven rollers 29 are rotatably mounted on frame 14by means of a common shaft 30. The peripheral edge of each feed roller29 extends upwardly through an elongated opening 31 in the bottom of theU-shaped plow 22 to which it is associated. The peripheral edge of feedroller 29 may be coated with a friction increasing material and extendssufficiently into plow member 22 to engage a petal strip passingtherealong. in the present example, feed roller 29 is independentlydriven by its own variable speed electric motor 32 through any desirableconnection such as a timing belt or a chain and sprocket arrangement.

Rotatably mounted immediately above the driven feed roller 29, is arotatable idling feed roller 33. The periphery of roller 33 may also becoated with a friction increasing material, and the periphery of saidroller is adapted to yieldably engage the periphery of roller 29 or topinch a petal strip passing therebetween. Roller 33 is mounted at oneend of an armature 34, the opposite end of which is pivotally supportedon a mounting block 35, which is in turn mounted on frame 14. It can beseen that roller 33 can be lifted upwardly of roller 29 to allow a petalstrip to be threaded therebetween. Roller 33 also serves to maintain thevertical disposition of the petals 10 of a petal strip 9 as it movestherepast.

Forwardly of feed rollers 29, 33, is the mating station 3 of the presentapparatus at which petal strips 9 are brought into mating contact with abacking sheet 36, to be bonded therewith in the formation of decorativefloral sheeting. Rotatably mounted in an extension of frame member 14 atthe mating station, is a relatively large roll 39 of backing sheet 36.in the present apparatus the roll 39 is mounted below the path of travelof the petal strip. Backing sheet being unwound from said roll extendsupwardly and around a guide roller 40, passing then over a solventapplicator generally designated 41, and around the end of a generallyhorizontally disposed conveyor 42, past the point of initial contactwith petal strips 9, which point may be referred to as the mating point.

The means whereby petal strips are permanently joined to backing sheet36, is a commercially available solvent which reacts with the syntheticplastic material of the petal strips and the backing sheet, affecting aweld between the two. in the present instance, the solvent applicatorincludes a reservoir 43 in which liquid solvent can be stored. Thesolvent is applied to the mating surface of backing sheet 36 by means ofa rotatable applicator roller 44, the absorbent peripheral edge of whichis adapted to extend down into the solvent in reservoir 43. In thepresent apparatus, a thin line of solvent is continuously deposited uponthe mating surface of backing sheet 36 for each petal strip 9 to beattached thereto.

For purposes of illustration only, the decorative sheeting fabricated bythe present apparatus consists of a backing sheet and 24 equally spacedrows of petal strip attached thereto. in this example, there would beone solvent applicator roller for each row of petal strip and the lineof solvent deposited by said roller on the mating surface of backingsheet 36 would be in alignment with its respective row of petal strip.

The solvent is deposited on said mating surface by rotating roller 44through the solvent in reservoir 43 and then by continued rotation,wiping the peripheral edge of said roller against said mating surface asit passes thereover. in order to have contact between backing sheet 36and solvent applicator rollers 44 only while the machine is inoperation, a depressing roller 45 is mounted above said backing sheet topress said sheet into contact with applicator roller 44 duringoperation. Roller 45 extends the width of backing sheet 36 and isrotatably supported at each of its ends in pivotally mounted armatures46. A pneumatic cylinder 49, or any other desirable means, may be usedto pivot armature 46 to raise and lower depressing roller 45 out of andinto operative relation with the peripheral edges of applicator rollers44.

The apparatus of the present invention is designed to be used with awide variety of decorative sheet forming materials. The materials maydiffer not only in composition, but in thickness, requiring differentquantities of solvent in order to effect a secure bond between petalstrips and the backing sheet. Thus, applicator rollers 44 may be drivenby a variable speed electric motor and the quantity of solvent depositedon the mating surface of backing sheet 36 is varied by the speed ofrotation of said applicator rollers. Further, in the present apparatus,each applicator roller 44 has a pair of strips of absorbent materialextending around the peripheral edge thereof. Therefore, two lines ofsolvent are deposited upon the mating surface of backing sheet 36 foreach petal strip to be bonded therewith. In some applications it may benecessary to deposit only a single line of solvent on said backing sheetfor each petal strip.

Conveyor 42 includes an endless belt 50 which is substantially the samewidth as backing sheet 36 and which extends between and around a drivenroller 51 and an idler roller 52. The outer surface of belt 50 isadapted to frictionally engaged backing sheet 36, carrying said backingsheet past an adhesive applicator generally designated 53. Roller 51 isdriven, through any desirable linkage such as a timing belt, by a motor54. The speed of motor 54 can be varied, thereby varying the feeding ofbacking sheet 36 from roll 39, which in effect varies the speed ofoutput of completed decorative sheeting from the present apparatus.

Mounted on frame 14 and adapted to engage one of the runs of the timingbelt extending between motor 54 and roller 51, is a pulse counter 55.Said pulse counter is adapted to register the feed of backing sheet 36,thereby ascertaining the amount of fabricated decorative sheeting whichpasses any given point. In the present example, the pulse counter maygenerate a pulse and transmit it to a tabulator upon each rotationthereof indicating that say, 6 inches of backing sheet 36 have been fedfrom roll 39. The tabulator can be adjusted to actuate the severingdevice upon every six pulses of the pulse counter thereby severingfabricated decorative sheeting from that being fabricated in 1 yardlengths, as has been done in the past. Also, the tabulator can beadjusted to actuate the severing device at any other desired multiple of6 inches, or it can be disengaged, allowing the apparatus to continue toproduce fabricated decorative sheeting until the sources of backingsheet or petal strips are exhausted. The severing device and itsoperative relation with the pulse counter will be described in greaterdetail later.

Adhesive applicator 53 consists of a plurality of individual nozzles 56,each being so positioned and adapted to apply a relatively thin line ofdeposit of adhesive to the mating surface of backing sheet 36 movingtherepast between said nozzles and the outer surface of belt 50 ofconveyor 42. As with the solvent applicator, rollers 44, there is onenozzle 56 for each row of petal strip to be attached to said backingsheet and said nozzle is generally aligned with its respective row ofpetal strip.

The line of adhesive deposited by each nozzle 56 is slightly to the sideof and generally parallel with its corresponding line of solvent asapplied by rollers 44. In the example in which two lines of solvent aredeposited by each roller 44, the line of adhesive deposited by nozzle 56will generally be placed on backing sheet 36 between the lines ofdeposit of solvent in each pair thereof. In such example, there would beone line of adhesive and two lines of solvent for bonding each petalstrip to the backing sheet.

The plurality of nozzles 56 are connected by a single manifold conduit59 to a reservoir 60 for adhesives. With many of the materials which maybe chosen for use with the present apparatus for forming decorativefloral sheeting, it has been found that a hot melt adhesive ispreferable to a cold adhesive primary because of the quicker settingtime. Should a hot melt glue or adhesive be used with the presentapparatus, it should be understood that reservoir 60, conduit 59 andnozzles 56 will all be heated so that the the adhesive will not setprior to being applied to the mating surface of backing sheet 36. Itwill also be noted that when hot melt glue is used, nozzles 56 should bepositioned as closely to the mating point between the petal strips andbacking sheet 36 as possible in order to minimize setting time betweenthe application of the glue to the backing sheet and the time in whichthe petal strips are brought into mating contact.

After backing sheet has passed adhesive nozzles 56 and extends around tothe upper run of belt 50, the backing sheet 36 with the solvent andadhesive applied thereto, then moves in a path generally parallel to andclosely adjacent the paths of the petal strips 9. At approximately themating point between the petal strips and the backing sheet, each of theplurality of plows 22 is coterminus as at 61. At this point, each petalstrip in its respective path of travel passes beneath a ruffling fingergenerally designated 62 and illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Ruffiing fingers 62, one for each petal strip line, are pivotallymounted on a pair of shafts 63 and 64, which extend transversely of thepaths of travel of the petal strips 9 and which are in turn mounted attheir outer ends in a subframe assembly generally designated 65. Frameassembly 65 is pivotally secured above main frame assembly 14 by thesame shaft 66, which secures armatures 34 and idler feed roller 33 toblocks 35 which are secured to frame 14.

As seen in FIG. 1, frame 65 is connected to a counter weight 69 by arope 70 extending across a pulley 71 which is in turn rotatably mountedon frame 14. Thus, it can be seen that subframe 65 and everythingmounted thereon, including fingers 62, can be rotated upwardly and awayfrom the paths of petal strips 9, thereby facilitating the threading ofsaid strips through the present apparatus.

Ruffling fingers 62 include a permanent support member 72 to the lowerend of which is secured a replaceable ruffler 73. Ruffler 73 isbasically a yieldable leaf spring having a petal strip engaging tip 74on the lower end thereof. Support member 72 is formed with alongitudinal slot 75 about midway thereof which slot is adapted toreceive mounting shafts 63 therethrough. The other finger mounting shaft64 is eccentrically received through the end of support member 72opposite ruffler 73 in such a manner that when shaft 64 is rotatedthrough its operative connection with motor 68, support member 72 pivotsabout shaft 63 and oscillates with respect thereto imparting a generallyrotary motion to tip 74.

As seen in FIG. 3, if shaft 64 is rotated in a clockwise direction, themovement imparted to tip 74 will be such that said tip will engage apetal strip 9 passing therebeneath and said tip will move forward withsaid strip for a short distance until it is lifted free from said stripand returned on its rotary motion to again engage said strip at a pointrearwardly of the prior point of engagement. The speed of movement ofthe petal strips 9 with relation to the backing sheet 36 and in relationto the movement of tip 74 of the ruffling fingers 62 is such that thepetal strips will be ruffled up, as illustrated in FIG. 4 and as will bemore fully described in connection with the operation of the presentapparatus.

From the mating point at which ruffling fingers 62 force petal strips 9into engagement with backing sheet 36, said strips and said sheet are atleast temporarily bonded by the quick action of the adhesive while amore permanent bond is being effected by the action of the solvent. Fromthe mating point, the mated decorative sheeting passes forwardly beneathgravity actuated idler rollers 76. There is one roller 76 for each rowof petal strip passing therebeneath and each such roller is generallyaligned with the line of deposit of adhesive which at this point isbetween the backing sheet and its respective row of petal strip. Theplurality of rollers 76 are rotatably mounted on a shaft 79 which is inturn mounted at its ends in a pair of armatures 80. Armatures 80 arepivotally mounted at their opposite ends on subframe assembly 65 so thatrollers 76 can be pivoted away from the paths of travel of the petalstrips independently of subframe assembly 65. Rollers 76 constitute aweight which presses each petal strip into firmer engagement withbacking sheet 36 along each line of deposit of adhesive.

The now fabricated decorative sheeting moves forwardly of the presentapparatus past a severing blade at which predetermined lengths of thefabricated sheeting can be severed from that which is in the process ofbeing fabricated. It should be understood that there are several meanswhereby the decorative sheeting can be severed and to a certain extentthe severing means may be dictated by the material used in fabricatingthe decorative sheeting. In the present example, applicants have deviseda heat blade which works quickly and accurately on the plastic materialsused in fabricating the present decorative sheeting.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the heat blade extends transversely of thepath of travel of the fabricated decorative sheeting and in the presentfonn is located beneath the decorative sheeting. The heat blade includesa heating element 81 of a length greater than the width of the floralsheeting passing thereover, which heating element is tautly suspendedbetween two insulated end posts 82 which are in turn mounted on a pairof armatures 83 the opposite ends of which are pivotally secured to anextension of frame member 14. The outer ends of armatures 83 may bejoined by a crossmember 84.

Heating element 81 is connected to a source of electricity and whenheated and brought into contact with the plastic material of the presentdecorative sheeting, instantly cuts through such material severingsheeting which has been fabricated from that which is being fabricated.In order to allow for expansion and contraction upon the heating ofelement 81, the insulated end posts are mounted on a tensioning devicewhich includes a bolt 85 secured to each end post and slidably extendingthrough an aperture and each armature 83, the end of said bolt outwardlyof armature 83 having a collar 86 secured thereto. A coil spring 89 ispositioned around bolt 85 and reacts between collar 86 and armature 83to provide constant tension on end posts 82 and therefore heatingelement 81.

Heating element 81 may be moved into and out of the path of decorativesheeting by any convenient means. In the present example, a pneumaticcylinder 90 reacts between a member of frame 14 and armatures 83 to moveheating element 81 to and from a cutting position. A pair of transversebars 91, between which element 81 is adapted to pass, may be positionedabove the decorative sheeting to offer resistance when said heatingelement is moved into the path of said sheeting.

Through standard electrically actuated pneumatic valve arrangements, thecylinder 91 can be made to actuate to sever decorative sheeting inresponse to pulse counter 55. If pulse counter 55 measures 6 inchintervals of backing sheet 36, and

it is desired to sever the decorative sheeting in 1 yard intervals,cylinder 90 can be made to actuate upon every six pulse generated bypulse counter 55. Likewise, the decorative sheeting can be severed atany multiple of the distance measured by the pulse counter betweengeneration of pulses.

Should the decorative floral sheeting be desired in individual pieces ofsay 1 square yard, they can be stacked into a shipping container of thelike as they are severed by heating element 81. However, the continuousoperation of the present apparatus makes it possible now to provideusers with greatly elongated sheets of decorative sheeting which may berolled up for shipping and storage. Toward that end, takeup station 4cooperates with the output of the fabricating apparatus to roll thefabricated decorative sheeting into rolls of any desired and practicallengths. Takeup station 4 includes a variable speed electric motor 92which is adapted through a proper gearing arrangement to rotate a core93 around which is wound the fabricated decorative sheeting. The speedof motor 92 is responsive to the output of fabricated decorativesheeting in that the sheeting may be looped beneath a transverse bar 94,which is in turn connected to an armature 95 which operates aresistance-type speed regulator 96. if the output of fabricateddecorative sheeting is running faster than the current speed of motor92, the loop beneath bar 94 becomes greater allowing arm 95 to drop,thereby decreasing the resistance in speed regulator 96 and increasingthe speed of motor 92. Converse- 1y, if motor 92 is running too fast forthe output of fabricated decorative sheeting, the loop beneath bar 94decreases raising bar 94 and armature 95, thus increasing the resistancewithin speed regulator 96 and decreasing the speed of motor 92.

in operation, the respective reservoirs of adhesive and solvent would befilled to the proper levels and if a hot-melt glue is being used, theelectrical system therefore would be actuated. When starting with afresh supply of backing sheet 36 the roll 39 thereof would be rotatablyplaced in its mounting in frame 14 and threaded around roller 40 andpast the solvent and adhesive applicators and over conveyor 42. Tofacilitate such threading, subframe member 65 would be pivoted upwardlyaway from the paths of travel of the petal strips 9.

A magazine 1 containing full reels 6 of petal strip 9 would be securedin its position over frame 14 and the petal strip from each individualreel would be unreeled therefrom and passed beneath its respectiverollers 21 and 25 into its respective U-shaped plow and channel member22. At this point, the roller 25 may be dropped into place within saidchannel and the petal strip is pulled forwardly to approximately themating point or shortly therepast. When this operation has beenperformed for each petal strip, the subframe assembly 65 is then loweredand locked into place, bringing idler roller 33 into petal feedingrelationship with driven roller 29.

The lowering of frame 65 also places the tips of ruffling fingers 62into position to ruffle the petal strip as it passes therebeneath. Whenall systems are ready, the various driving motors and pneumatic cylinder49 are actuated and the ruffling fingers start ruffling the fastermoving petal strip into the tacky deposit of hot melt adhesive which isbeneath each petal strip on the mating surface of backing sheet 36. Withthe process started, weight rollers 76 are lowered into place and theprocess continues until there is an expenditure of a needed item.

it might be pointed out that the adhesive system may include apressurized reservoir or a pump to effect adhesive flow. It might alsobe noted that the action of ruffling fingers 62 may be staggered withrespect to one another. Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that therufiling finger tip 7 frictionaliy engages the petal strip passingthereunder. The action of the finger mashes the petal strip into initialcontact with the deposit of adhesive previously placed in alignment withsaid strip and said tip on the backing sheet. As the action of theruffling finger continues it forms a rufiie that might be likened to apleat in the petal strip which is moving faster than the backing sheet,said ruffle or pleat including within it some of the deposit of fastsetting hot melt glue. The ruffled petal stri then moves at the samespeed with the backing sheet beneat the weighted rollers 76 where thestrip and the sheet are further mashed together. The hot melt glue coolsand sets very quickly bonding the petal strips to the backing sheet in aruffled condition.

While the ruffler tip 74 and the weighted rollers 76 are establishingfirm contact between the petal strip and the backing sheet with theadhesive, they are also establishing contact between the two along theline of deposit of the solvent. The dissolving and welding action of thesolvent starts immediately but takes a substantial length of time toreach a cured state at which the two pieces of plastic are securely andrelatively permanently joined together, During this interval, the hotmelt glue forms a sufficiently satisfactory temporary bond to allow forthe slower bonding action of the solvent to take place. it should ofcourse, be understood that the above is a detailed description of thepreferred form and method of the present invention, and it is notintended to be limiting, as other forms and modifications may occur tothose skilled in the art which do not depart from the spirit of thisinvention and which come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A method for making decorative sheeting by attaching a plurality ofpreformed strips of relatively thin, flexible material alongpredetermined lines to one side of a backing sheet of similar material,including the steps of:

a. applying a relatively narrow deposit of solvent between each of saidstrips and said backing sheet along spaced lines extendinglongitudinally of said strips;

b. substantially simultaneously applying a relatively narrow deposit ofadhesive between each of said strips and said backing sheet in linesalongside said solvent;

c. ruffling said strips while substantially simultaneously bringing theminto attaching relation with said backing sheet along the linesofdeposit of said solvent and said adhesive; and,

d. affixing said strips in such ruffled condition to said backing sheetinitially by said adhesive and more permanently by said solvent.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

e. applying said solvent to said backing sheet in spaced pairs ofrelatively thin deposits along substantially parallel spaced lines, onepair for each of said strips;

, substantially simultaneously applying said deposit of adhesive betweensaid lines of solvent of each pair thereof.

3. The method of claim l, including:

e. ruffling said strips forcing greater lengths of said strips intoengagement with a lesser length of said backing sheet along the lines ofdeposit of adhesive, the ruffling in said strips being initially held bysaid adhesive while said solvent is effecting a more permanentafiixation.

4. A method of claim 1, including the additional steps of:

e. moving said backing sheet continuously along a predetermined path;

f. moving a plurality of said strips along spaced paths generallycorresponding to said spaced deposits of solvent to the vicinity of saidbacking sheet at speeds greater than the speed of movement of saidbacking sheet to allow for said ruffling.

2. The method of claim 1, including: e. applying said solvent to saidbacking sheet in spaced pairs of relatively thin deposits alongsubstantially parallel spaced lines, one pair for each of said strips;f. substantially simultaneously applying said deposit of adhesivebetween said lines of solvent of each pair thereof.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, including: e. ruffling said strips forcing greater lengths ofsaid strips into engagement with a lesser length of said backing sheetalong the lines of deposit of adhesive, the ruffling in said stripsbeing initially held by said adhesive while said solvent is effecting amore permanent affixation.
 4. A method of claim 1, including theadditional steps of: e. moving said backing sheet continuously along apredetermined path; f. moving a plurality of said strips along spacedpaths generally corresponding to said spaced deposits of solvent to thevicinity of said backing sheet at speeds greater than the speed ofmovement of said backing sheet to allow for said ruffling.